Disaster
by JPandS
Summary: In an outburst of rage, Rei accidently throws her old time comrades into the center of an unexpected feud between the law and an underground crime society.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own SM or GW.**

**This story may change from SM/GW crossover but I'm not sure yet. This was written purely on a whim.**

"This is so unfair!" wailed a creamy skinned blonde sporting a bright red bow. "After all these years, why was I the one you had to put in the line of danger?" she whined. The raven-haired hothead, literally, was in no mood to listen.

"Minako!" she scolded. "Can't you see we've got bigger matters at hand?" The blonde's bright blue eyes widened as she realized what they were doing.

"Oh, right," she muttered as she followed closely behind the cautious visage of her old friend. They settled in the shadow of a dark alley with their eyes trained on the visible strip of cement. Time seemed to slow as the clicking of heals on the ground passed without any disturbance. They held their breath in anticipation as a man dressed in a sleek black suit paused in their view. He skimmed the dark alley and resided in that spot too long for the girls' comfort. The raven-haired girl could feel her blonde companion gripping at the seams of her shirt in apprehension.

_Please keep going, please keep going, please keep going, _the lavender-eyed woman willed mentally. Her heart was pounding much too loud for the situation, her internal organs screaming at it to cease its activity. A great sigh of relief was released from both as the man disappeared from view. Each girl leant helplessly against the brick wall behind them trying to calm themselves from their heightened state. What were they going to do?

**Earlier that day**

"I TOLD YOU TO HAVE THIS ON MY DESK BY 8 AM SHARP!" bellowed the self-reformed Rei Hino, business partner of the currently highest-ranking company in all Japan. Had it not been for her explosive temper and constant ridicule of every minute mistake, she may have attained more friends than currently rendered. So far, her count for friends simmered to a measly 2.

"I-I-I'm sorry Ms. Hino, I'll get right to it!" The shriveling man managed to stutter.

"No," she retorted, her voice was dangerously quiet and anyone who knew Rei Hino the executive partner, knew that this was not good. "Don't worry about the report."

The man's expression of pure terror slowly reshaped into a look of relief. "R-really Ms. Hino?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," she said with a wave. The man was now convinced, his hands rushing into a thankful gesture.

"Thank you so much Ms. Hino, you won't be-"

"You're fired," the dark haired vixen worded heartlessly. The man froze in his place, his face faltering in distraught. "Find me another replacement," the woman ordered to a frantic looking girl behind the front desk.

"Right away, Hino-san," she rattled. The infuriated woman paced to her scenic office and slammed the door shut behind her. Sometimes, she just couldn't believe how lazy people could be. She could remember clearly stating the deadline but somehow, people would always disappoint her. Rei shook her head in rage as she seated herself behind her desk. She always had to do everything herself around here.

The raven-haired girl suddenly tensed in her seat at she noticed something disturbing. A purple speck of ink somehow weaseled its way onto the perfectly carved mahogany table imported from Eristad Demuer's private collection in France. _Calm down, Rei, just breathe and grab a napkin to wipe it off._ She thought to herself. Trying desperately to ease her climbing heart rate, she grabbed a tissue from her drawer and slid it gently over the surface. She had to bite her tongue when the purple ink smeared, leaving an even larger streak across her flawless French-made merchandise. _Easy now Rei, just finish it off._ She carefully grabbed another tissue and headed for the offending mark. Her hand was steady as she lowered it and gingerly dabbed. The ink would not move. Her bottom lip quivered dangerously as her hand was now pounding into the grisly stain.

"RAMONA!!!!!!!!" She shrieked unable to hold back any longer. "WHO THE HELL PUT THIS STAIN ON MY DESK?"

_)*_)(*

"Good morning class!" greeted a bright-eyed blonde with a neatly tied red bow in her hair.

"Good morning Aino-sensei," the children ranging from 9 to 10 years old replied in unison. The blonde smiled before seating herself.

"You all did your homework I hope," she stated. In response, the children each nodded in affirmation. "Good, because we have a pop quiz." The children groaned at this revelation, each dropping their heads in dread.

"Oh com'on now guys," their teacher encouraged. "It shouldn't be that sad if you did your homework." She passed out the exams and watched as their pencils hastily scratched at the paper. "Good luck."

Again she settled into her seat and turned her attention to a stack of papers, which had yet to be graded. She rolled up her sleeves in preparation but was interrupted by an obtrusive knock at the door. With a sigh she answered to find the school secretary.

"Hi Mitsumi-san," she muttered. "How can I help you?"

)(*^)

Rei fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, the stares she received from the ladies in the office were near unbearable. Why did people always have to be so rude and stare? She grimaced at their inconsideration. Clicking in the halls caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder to see the familiar strands of shiny blonde bouncing through in tow of the school secretary. She exhaled deeply readying herself for the unexpected reunion. As the door opened, Rei stood up nervously awaiting Mina's gaze.

"What's this about Mitsumi-" her voice trailed off. "Rei," she mumbled in surprise. Rei shifted awkwardly extending her hand in greeting. Minako just looked at her in disbelief and passed her hand to grab the alienated fire breather in a generous hug. Rei stiffened, her senses going completely haywire from the seemingly simple gesture.

"How've you been?" Minako asked in excitement her eyes dancing with joy.

Rei stumbled for words as she shook her head. She had not expected Minako to be so kind. Sure they were friends when they were younger but somehow she had imagined that their relationship might have changed since then.

"I've been good," she finally expelled. "How about you? I heard somewhere that you had kids." Minako smiled.

"Yeah, I've got 26," she joked; Rei's arched eyebrow quickly dissolving as she realized the blonde was referring to her class.

"That's great," Rei droned trying hard to understand why someone would devastate themselves so much with the responsibility of caring for kids. Her mind seemed to trail off at the thought, the presence of Minako soon being forgotten.

"Rei?" The woman was snapped out of her reverie.

"Uhm, Minako," she started, her focus now reallocated to the purpose of her visit. "I was only able to get in contact with you." She said looking to her old comrade in expectance. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

The blonde's eyes flashed with concern. "What's wrong?" she quickly dropped to a whisper subconsciously turning her back to the office ladies to ensure they couldn't hear what they were saying. "Were you attacked?"

Rei bit her bottom lip nervously. "No, I just, I just had a situation."

"What kind of situation?" Minako asked.

"Well," Rei paused in search for the words that would adequately express her inquisition. "Have you had any weird things happen to you lately?" Minako quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Rei groaned. "I mean have you had anything strange happen?" Rei's eyes tried to emphasize "strange" which Minako still didn't catch.

"Well Rei," she laughed. "I can't say that anything has." Rei rolled her eyes. She had forgotten how literal you had to be for her old friends to understand.

"No, I mean your powers." Minako froze.

"What?" She questioned, her eyes looking crossly at the once priestess. "I'm sorry Rei but I don't know what you're talking about."

Rei rubbed her head in frustration before attempting another approach. "Look, I was at work this morning and something happened." Minako was fully attentive.

"Uh-huh," she murmured.

"Alright," Rei continued. "I noticed a stain on my desk and got really upset."

_"RAMONA!!!" Rei shrieked. "WHO THE HELL PUT THIS STAIN ON MY DESK?"_

_ A petite redhead woman bustled into the Hino office in terror. "Ms. Hino," she stammered. "I-I don't know how this could have happened."_

_ "AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE MY PERSONAL ASSISTANT?" The woman nodded in response. "ISN'T IT YOUR JOB TO MAKE SURE NO ONE COMES INTO MY OFFICE AND STAINS MY MILLION DOLLAR MAHOGANEY DESKTOP?"_

_ "U-uh yes ma'am it is," she stuttered._

_ "THEN HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?" Rei cried out, her face turning bright red._

_ "Uh perhaps you spilt something by accident-"_

_ "What?!" Rei yelled. "Are you saying that I did this?" She was not happy._

_ "N-no I just thought-"_

_ "Thought what?" Rei's voice was dripping with venom. If Ramona hadn't known any better, she would have said that the business tycoon had literal flames in her eyes. The redhead was so dumbstruck that her eyes raced incessantly looking for words to atone for her statement. Her eyes widened as the view of a flickering light upon the boss' most prized desk._

_ "WELL?" Rei was impatient. Silence and the incapability of others to take responsibility for shirking their duties was unacceptable. "SPEAK RAMONA!" she demanded._

_ "F-fire!" _

"You're desk caught on fire?" Minako asked in pure disbelief. "That's it?"

Rei glowered. Why did she come here again? Oh yeah, it was because she thought that someone from her past could relate to the story and explain to her how her desk burst into flames in the middle of her office. She was the fire wielder after all, so wasn't that enough for Minako to be able to piece everything together?

"Minako," Rei grimaced, but the blonde was not convinced.

"I'll tell you what Rei," Minako started. "I think you're too stressed from your job and you need a break. Maybe after I get out of school, we can go do something to ease some of that tension."

Again Rei started to massage her temples. "Maybe you're right." She agreed, now too tired to argue.

"Good!" Minako cheered. "So I'll meet you at 3 PM sharp and we'll go out to eat or something and catch up!" Disappointment-ridden, Rei bobbed her head and dismissed herself from the office. The blonde bounced happily back to her classroom whilst the morbid millionaire paced off the school grounds. Perhaps the blonde was right. Maybe she was over thinking this whole situation. Besides, fires did happen and they didn't always have unnatural causes behind them. She yawned in a long outreach. Minako was right she just let the stress get to her. Hopefully by the end of the day, she would be able to return to work with her head screwed on straight.

)(*&)(*)

Minako practically leapt through the hallways when the conclusion bells rang throughout the school. Though she thoroughly enjoyed the company of her students and the school faculty, she was more than excited to be able to reconnect with an old friend. She walked outside temporarily blinded by the sunlight. She put a hand up to block it and was shocked to see her friend's face inside a sparkling red sports car. Hmm, she never expected Rei to be the sports car type but time did have a way of changing some people. She waved at her before proceeding to the passenger seat.

"Hey Rei."

"Hey," her friend mumbled before driving off. The ride was filled with the rants of Minako Aino, painfully reminding Rei of the chipper talkative teenager she was and continued to be. Her brain pounded inside her head in disdain at every syllable that escaped the blonde's lips.

"Just great," Rei groaned to herself, the comment going unnoticed by her blue-eyed passenger.

"Let's eat here," Minako voiced pointing at a small café hardly bustling with customers.

"Alright," Rei concurred trying to hurry this play date along so she could return home to her modernized condo suite in upstate Tokyo. She parked the car on the edge of the street and dragged herself out behind the blooming schoolteacher. Was it just Rei or did Minako seem to be glowing? She shook the thought from her head as she met the erroneous stench of grease and hamburger meat. "Ugh," she groaned, her nose scrunching in distraught.

"Smells good huh," remarked Minako as she found an empty booth near the window. Rei seated herself reluctantly across from her trying hard to ignore the awful smell. Her diet of fresh fruit and vegetables and carefully prepared meat on occasion had spoiled her beyond recognition. How was it that when she was in high school she was able to consume hamburgers and fries loaded with excessive fat and salt? She shuddered at the question.

"Hey there ladies," said a young brunette as she placed two menus on the table. "My name is Sarima and I will be your server tonight. Do we know what we're ordering yet?"

Minako looked to Rei who was staring mindlessly at the window and shrugged. "Yeah can we get a couple of waters? And I would like a cheeseburger with no onions and a strawberry milkshake on the side."

"Okay," the girl said as she scribbled into her notepad. She then looked to the raven-haired girl who had yet to even acknowledge her presence.

"She'll have the same thing," Minako spoke quietly. Sarima nodded and proceeded to the kitchen. Minako sighed completely oblivious of the reason Rei had seemed so out of it. She had thought for sure that this night would be filled with laughs and reminiscing but so far it was pretty lifeless. The young miko that she had once spent most of her time with sharing a duty was nowhere to be seen. In her place, sat the uptight business tycoon that Minako had yet to be introduced to. She frowned. Hopefully, Rei didn't think badly of her but somehow she knew the priestess did.

"Here you are." Sarima's voice cut heavily into the awkward air fumigating Rei and Minako's booth. She carefully placed their food in front of them and wished them good tithes before she again departed. Minako daintily picked at her food and sighed.

"So Rei," Minako started. "Got any boyfriends?"

"No."

"Oh," Minako replied. "Pets?"

"No."

"New friends?"

"No."

"Just flying solo then huh?" She asked with a slight grin.

"I guess," replied Rei, her vision still trained out the window. Minako gulped uncomfortably, a sense of frustration washing over her as her attempts at conversation kept being shot down.

"Well, that's cool," she mumbled. "I guess I could say I'm doing the same thing. You know, it's really hard to find good friends now a days and it's even harder to find a cool boyfriend…" she trailed off as the sense of unimportance overwhelmed her. Minako was deeply depressed at the lack of interest Rei was showing and finally decided to cut her free from her apparent misery.

"Hey Rei." Still the said girl did not avert her eyes. "I'm not feeling too well, do you think we could maybe cut this short?" The lavender-eyed beauty finally turned to respond.

"Sure," she buzzed immediately. Minako forced a smile on as a sharp pain stabbed at the pit of her chest.

"Cool," she muttered before asking Sarima for some carryout plates. The two old friends trailed out of the café walking in silence to the red sports vehicle.

"It was nice seeing you again," Minako was still attempting to get more words from the fire wielder but it was no use. The businesswoman was cold and unreachable. It seemed like forever until they made it to the parking lot, Rei's critical gaze searching for her car.

"Didn't we park here?" she asked and Minako too was forced to scan the lot for the red obtrusion.

"I think so." Rei panicked as she ravaged the parking lot whilst Minako meandered carelessly for a clue. A loud revving pulled them from their search, a streak of red and black zooming across the road in front of them.

"My car!" Rei yelled in frustration throwing her hands up in the air. Minako bit on the bottom of her lip nervously as she witnessed her childhood friend kicking the air and throwing out obscenities. She thought peoples' temper got better with age not vice versa; she shrugged.

"Hey Rei," Minako called out to her. The woman momentarily stopped her cries of irritation and looked to her.

"What?" she scathed. Minako rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"There's a police station just down the street, let's go report your stolen car and then maybe they can give us a ride home." The fiery temper of the executive partner permeated the streets as she walked alongside the brooding schoolteacher. What a horrible get together. The two walked in, Rei still fuming, and spoke with the first officer they encountered.

"How can I help you, ladies?" the officer asked.

"My friend got her car stolen, we would like to file a report," Minako informed. The man behind the desk nodded in affirmation and directed them to a table wherein they filled out the proper paperwork and signed it.

"We'll be on the lookout for your vehicle, ma'am and if we come up with anything we'll be sure to call you."

"Thank you sir," Minako replied courteously and nudged Rei and to do the same. An inaudible thank you was mumbled eliciting a groan of disappointment from the blonde. "Geez Rei, the least you can do is be grateful."

"Grateful for what?" She retorted, her night growing more and more menacing. She should have never called Minako. She knew that if she was ever in contact with anyone from that age then trouble would be sure to follow. Minako was tired of Rei's pessimistic attitude and picked herself up from her seat. To her dismay, Rei followed suit.

"Oh, great," she mumbled to herself. The high stress of the multimillionaire was starting to rub off on Minako as she felt her body tense and uncomfortable on the way back outside. A small bench remained empty and inviting to Minako so she took the liberty of occupying it. Rei had seated herself next to her without a clue as to what to do next. How was she supposed to get home? There were no taxis around here and she had no one to call to give her a ride home. She huffed and crossed her arms as she contemplated her options.

"Hey there ladies, looking hot tonight!" Rei's fuse was lit. Minako's eyes widened as soon as she saw the raven—haired girl jump from her seat.

"What did you say?" Rei seethed through grit teeth. The two men that had strewn the offending phrase were laughing now.

"Com'on babe, you're looking good, you should take it as a compliment!" Rei's chest was heaving, Minako frantic to try and sooth her temper.

"Com'on Rei," she said. "They're a bunch of losers, don't listen to them." It was not enough. The laughing of the two men seemed to echo in the ears of the now enraged woman. To think that these men actually thought that their catcalls and whistles should flatter her was infuriating. Why, she wanted no less than to plaster their sorry carcasses onto the pavement. Minako looked around in defeat as she saw that the raven-haired girl was not hearing her. She glanced at the police station and had to do a double take.

A horde of people started flooding out of the building and she watched inquisitively as small clouds of smoke seeped outside the cracked windows.

"Why don't you come closer and say that to my face!" the raven-haired woman screamed.

"Rei," Minako shuddered.

"COWARDS!!"

"Rei," Minako nudged.

"YOU BETTER PRAY I DON'T FIND YOUR SORRY $$3$!"

"Or what?" The question irked her beyond repair. Her heart rate skyrocketed as the color in her knuckles disappeared. A dark churning inside her chest started pulsing until BAM!

"REI!" Minako yelled gripping the said woman by the shoulders and turning her around. The police station was engulfed in flames, the raven-haired girl suddenly displaying the most humane expression Minako had yet to witness.

"You set the police station on fire!" Minako accidentally voice out loud. She immediately regretted the outburst as a group of officers redirected their attention to the two of them. The blonde's heart dropped as she grabbed Rei and started sprinting down the street.

"What're you doing?" Rei asked, before Minako could answer, she looked to see a team of policemen in hot pursuit. Her cheeks paled, "Oh." She muttered before engaging her full attention in the race to get away. They turned the corner desperately looking for a hideout. Minako halted to a stop when she felt Rei post herself in a stationary position.

"Rei, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I couldn't have done that," she replied. "Why are we running, I didn't do anything!" Minako looked frantically at the girl and to the officers in pursuit.

"Alright, alright," said Minako. "Try to start a fire."

"What?"

"Start a fire! If you can't do it, then we stop running. If you do-"

"I can't," Rei interrupted.

"Well then, prove it."

Rei concentrated hard on the asphalt trying to a call a flame to start. She shook her head in irritation as she settled her mind on the production of a flame. What was she thinking? There was no way she started that fire, it was way too big!

"REI!" Minako pleaded.

"See I told you, no fire!" Minako grunted.

"TRY AGAIN!" Her voice was too demanding for Rei's liking.

"I told you I don't start fires!"

"Rei, you told me this morning that you set fire to your desk and now you're saying that you didn't?" Rei nodded in response. "Then what'd you come here for?" Minako argued her mind distracted from the police sirens that were growing closer.

"I don't know," Rei gave up. Minako growled, the oscillating lights of policemen bouncing off the walls.

"Rei let's go!" she demanded finally. Rei didn't budge. "REI!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"REIIIII!"

"STOP YELLING!" A nearby car exploded instantaneously, Rei's pupils shriveling in despair. "Holy crap," she muttered. "I did set the police station on fire."

"Glad you agree now," Minako hastily grabbed her and resumed their run.

They settled in the shadow of dark alley with their eyes trained on the visible strip of cement. Time seemed to slow as the clicking of heals on the ground passed without any disturbance. They held their breath in anticipation as a man dressed in a sleek black suit paused in their view. He skimmed the dark alley and resided in that spot too long for the girls' comfort. The raven-haired girl could feel her blonde companion gripping at the seams of her shirt in apprehension.

_Please keep going, please keep going, please keep going, _the lavender-eyed woman willed mentally. Her heart was pounding much too loud for the situation, her internal organs screaming at it to cease its activity. A great sigh of relief was released from both as the man disappeared from view. Each girl leant helplessly against the brick wall behind them trying to calm themselves from their heightened state. What were they going to do?

"Rei," the blonde spoke. The said woman looked to her friend, noticing the deep concern she had in her deep blue pools. "We're in some deep $#!"

**Whew, well tell me what you think. I don't know if I'll be continuing this story, I just wrote it because I had an inkling to do a comedic type fic. I was surprised that I started writing it about Rei and it just might end up being mainly centered on her, but we'll see. That is if I decide to continue. So review and please feel free to offer suggestions and/or constructive criticism. Thank you so much for reading!**

**JPandS**

**P.S.**

**I feel as though I may have put too much yelling in here. Also, I kind of got lazy half way through the story which adds to my doubt of writing more for this. But if I do continue, I know for sure Makoto is coming in next ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, I'd like to thank all the reviewers! I truly appreciate your commentary and I'm so glad that people seemed to have liked this so far! I don't know if this chapter will be as funny as the first one but hopefully it is equally entertaining!**

**decision pending: your advice was very helpful! I actually sat down and wrote on paper what I wanted to happen and how and when I was writing it was cool to have a skeleton to go by! So thank you so much!**

**Aurora: Thanks! I've been thinking about what would happen if their powers just suddenly popped up randomly when they weren't transformed and thought it would be a good premise for a humor kind of fic XD Let's just hope I can continue the humor as sometimes I tend to get a little dull ^^; and jokeless**

**Flame of concealed darkness: thanks for the review, do i know you from somewhere? Glad you think its funny n yeah a dbz/sm crossover would fit in with the humor aspect but i'm keeping it just a gw/sm crossover =)**

**Da bomb: haha thx pressure you are too kind! Hope you like this chap yeah? **

**nadeshiko_yuna: lol I admit I also hesitate to read when stories aren't based around Makoto XD so I thank you for taking time to read this and I'm so glad you liked it! Fingers crossed, I hope I can continue to keep it interesting! :D**

_Breaking news! _

_"Last night, two women set fire to the one of Japan's greatest police station and fled into the streets. The fire was said to have started unexpectedly and suddenly burst into a violent flame instantaneously. Experts have yet to discover how exactly these two fugitives were able to execute this plan as no bombs or explosives were discovered in what is now left of the station. Police officers say that they are armed and dangerous as a car was left in flames on their trail. If you have any information about these suspects please contact the number at the bottom of the screen."_

"Hey Mako-chan, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Peered in a tall brunette in an apron. Her sparkling emerald eyes fit well with her satin skin and wavy auburn locks.

"A police station was set on fire last night," the girl grimaced. "Can you believe it?" The brunette shook her head in response.

"That's crazy," she admitted. "It's a shame that people could do something so horrible." Both women sighed in exasperation at the thought. It seemed as though the world was increasing in violence, not too long ago Makoto could remember hearing about a large explosion happening in Europe and even small riots that had broken out in her own hometown. She cringed, why was it that people couldn't just settle down and resolve things without contention? Her mind subconsciously focused on the most recent event to occupy the news. What kind of person could set fire to a police station? Were they really that angry with the law that they would try to burn down its very foundation? How depressing.

Her empathizing green orbs skimmed the plates she had prepared and nodded in approval. The art of food presentation was so exhilarating sometimes. The neatly positioned entrée and the ornately decorated deserts made Makoto jump for joy on the insides. A broad sense of accomplishment consumed her as a smile shown proudly on her unmarred skin. She picked up the plates with ease, balancing six extra dishes on her forearms and placed them carefully on the counter for dishes to be served.

The day was perfect! Despite the troubling events happening in the world outside, her life in the restaurant was exactly in the place that she wanted it to be. She exhaled loudly in thought. She only hoped someday, everyone could feel as much at peace as she did now.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" The face of a flawlessly natural beauty was deeply immersed in the thin yellow pages of the phone book. Her finger ran speedily down each page carefully skimming the names of each occupant.

"Find anything yet?" The once cheer-ridden features of the blonde schoolteacher were now scrunched in anxiety. She purposely avoided eye contact with any bystanders and couldn't help but scream a prayer each time someone took notice of her. The news had already been blaring about the little 'incident' yesterday, which took its toll on her mental psyche. Hopefully, they hadn't found any pictures yet to accompany that story…

"Got it!" Minako jumped in excitement and pushed her way into the booth to see. "What're you doing?" seethed the raven-haired executive as her body was squished into the thin walls of the booth.

"I just wanna see," Minako groaned, forcefully maintaining her stay to catch a glimpse of the name she had found. "Ooh, Mako-chan!" She squealed the excitement overruling all labored concerns. In frustration, Rei managed to fling the blonde out of the booth unceremoniously.

"Geez Rei!" The blonde complained. "All you had to do was ask me to move." She huffed with her arms folded across her chest until she noticed men dressed in navy blue. She whistled nervously as she rocked back and forth on her heals, the officers fortunately not resting their critical gaze on her.

"D*mn," Rei cursed.

"What is it?" Minako asked.

"She's not answering, we'll just have to go over there instead." Minako frowned. Was it really a good idea to bring someone else into this chaos? Probably not! After all, Minako didn't willingly jump into this predicament…it was Rei and her bad temper that got them into this mess.

"Rei, I don't know about this," Minako spoke. "We should just go to the police and apologize or something. Its not like we **ahem** I mean **you** did it on purpose…" Minako chanced a glance at the Mars goddess in anticipation. Surely she wouldn't like how Minako kept rubbing it in that **she** was responsible for all this trouble.

"Yeah," Rei said sarcastically. "Let's just walk up to them and tell them that I set the station on fire on accident because my supernatural fire wielding abilities flared up with my anger as the trigger! Then maybe they'll just give me a warning and wipe away the terrorist remark on my perfect-until-now record!" She nearly yelled.

"See," Minako asked. "That's all I ask!"

Rei glowered at her in ridicule. There was no way the blonde was actually serious. Didn't she catch the sarcasm in her voice? "You're such a ditz, Minako. I was being sarcastic!" The aforementioned blonde heaved a great sigh, her head shaking in annoyance. Sometimes…Rei could be such a demon! She growled. Once this whole thing was over and done with, she would be sure to erase the raven-haired woman's memory from her mind completely. After all, Rei didn't even seem at all sorry for the situation she got them both into so it wasn't as if the business woman actually **cared** what happened to the blonde.

"Fine Rei," Minako gave up. "What do you wanna do? Drag Mako-chan into the problem too and then the three of us can run together to Ami or Usa? What good would that do?"

Rei frowned. Going to Makoto's place really didn't make much sense but at this point, all Rei wanted to do was sit in one spot for a while until she could think of a plan to get out of this mess. Though their pictures had yet to be released to the public, she knew they had their tracks set on them. A talk with her secretary confirmed that police were raiding her office looking for clues and she assumed that they had already gotten to her house too. Luckily, she didn't have too many things lying around that suggested she had a friend to stay with so hopefully that would buy her more time.

"We need a place to sit and talk this through," Rei reasoned. "If we can just find a place just for a minute to catch a breather then maybe we can figure everything out." Minako looked hesitantly towards her, her own arms folded uneasily across her chest.

"Alright," Minako droned. "Lead the way."

* * *

Two females stood angered before the scene. Yellow tape barred entrance to all unauthorized personnel, the charred building circled by bustling firemen and perplexed policemen. The shortest of the pair bit on her thumb in frustration. Who did this? Her sky blue eyes flashed dangerously as she tried to mentally scan all possible suspects. It was that damned clown wasn't it! He was always interfering with their schemes and taking the credit for himself. If the boss hadn't taken such a great liking for him then they would have done away with him a long time ago. She ran a hand through her sleek black hair hanging just above her shoulder and narrowed her eyes in anticipation as another woman approached them.

"Quite interesting news if you ask me," she said as she reached them. Her copper tresses were pulled into a long ponytail, her hazel eyes lingering on the two names written on her hand.

"What did you find?"

The girl sighed before responding. "Suspects are two women by the names of Aino, Minako and Hino, Rei. Aino, Minako is an elementary school teacher and Ms. Hino is a successful business woman."

"And the cause of the fire?"

The woman shrugged. "Don't know. They couldn't find any explosives, chemicals or even faulty wires. They say the fire just started as a small flame and suddenly burst into a fatal explosion."

The inquirer growled, her jaw-line visibly tensing. "Looks like we've got ourselves some competitors," she seethed. "We'll have to teach them a lesson of why no one crosses us…" The other women snickered at these words.

"This'll be fun."

* * *

Minako had the strangest feeling since she and Rei had come within view of Makoto's apartment complex. For some reason, she kept looking over her shoulder as if someone was following them. Of course, every time she would look there would be no one there. She groaned. Her paranoia was heightening in every minute that they were out in the open and even more while they sat motionless awaiting their tall brunette friend's arrival. _Geez,_ she whined to herself. _Where is Mako-chan?_

The itching feeling that they weren't alone stabbed incessantly at her conscience, the wait getting more and more unbearable. Minako sighed, forcing herself to calm down and try to stay cool. She closed her eyes and leant on the wall of the building, mentally counting to ten and back in attempts to ease her tension. With a huff, she opened her eyes and peered curiously at a capped man sitting casually on a bench facing towards them. His arms were perched behind his head as he sat back in his seat, his attire consisting of what looked to be a preacher outfit. His long chestnut hair was plaited and hung over his shoulder. Minako's cheeks burned as her eyes came in contact with his, the sheepish grin and added wink causing her to avert her gaze.

Did he catch her staring? She shook her head. What did it matter anyways? It wasn't like she was in a position to be flirting with anyone. She frowned. It was unfortunate. She had constantly been the subject of adoration for many of her student's fathers and most of them were already married! She cringed as she thought back to her wretched history with men since she decided to become a schoolteacher. Why did they have to come after her? It seemed that everywhere she turned, there was a father looking to take her out. Though at first it flattered her immensely, it now grew into a great curse. She chanced a glance towards the bench and was disappointed when it turned up empty. _That's too bad, _she mentally sighed. _He was pretty hot…_

"She's here." Minako yanked her head to the side to catch sight of the long unseen grade school friend. She smiled excitedly, the space around her appearing to grow brighter. And then, it dimmed.

_SMACK!_

Minako's eyebrow twitched dangerously as she turned to the fire breather. Steam seeped out of the blonde's ears, her face growing tomato red.

"WHAT THE HELL REI?" She yelled. Rei was unfazed by the outburst, her head turned up defiantly as though she had good reason for what she did.

"You were glowing like a frickin night light, dummy. Are you trying to attract people's attention?" At this, Minako's index rose to her lips in question. She was glowing? She smiled to herself at the prospect that her powers were finally coming out but soon she grimaced. GLOWING? That was it? She kicked the floor in realization of the lame manifestation and trudged behind Rei as she tried to catch up to Makoto.

Her long-legged companion zoomed up the steps, the raven-haired woman and herself nearly out of breath in their pursuit. "Mako-chan," Minako managed to wheeze along the way. "Slow down." Gah, she would have to be sure to work on her cardio after this! The auburn curls ceased their bounce, at the decimated clicking of emerald green heals.

"Rei? Minako?" The presence of the two long departed faces was stunning, to say the least. The brunette brimmed with excitement as she rushed the two in an unexpected hug. "This is such a great surprise!" She mused loudly. She ushered the two of them frenetically into her apartment, the premise lighting immediately at their arrival. Rei peered skeptically inside.

_Funny, _she wavered. _I didn't see Makoto flip any switches?_ The idea was instantly hushed as she scolded herself for her paranoia. After all, Makoto probably had motion sensors on her lights, which would explain how they came on without any clicking involved.

"Are you guys hungry?" Makoto hadn't waited for a response, her hands already reaching for pans and ingredients.

"Of course!" Minako squealed, her demeanor returning to its usual bubbly exuberance, eliciting a soft glow from her skin. Rei sighed as she reluctantly seated herself at the kitchen table with her attention on the commotion. The wooden support welcomed her warmly as her aching muscles finally relaxed from their burdened state. Her eyes shuddered shut in appreciation. Who knew that a chair could elicit this much bliss?

A soothing aroma teased at her scrutinizing nose, the scent comforting her heavy-ladened soul. A small smile crept helplessly onto her peach lips in response. She had forgotten how much she loved Makoto's cooking. Whether it was a simple cookie or even a small sample, the brunette's cooking was nothing less than awe-inspiring.

"Here you go Rei." Makoto gleamed at her as she placed the teacup carefully in front of her fiery friend. Rei indulged eagerly, her troubles temporarily abandoned. Maybe this trip wasn't such a bad idea after all…

* * *

It was a quiet day for the young genius doctor as she walked leisurely through the garage towards the elevator. A glimpse of a shimmering charcoal colored motorcycle nudged her to shake her head in disapproval. Who in their right mind would choose such a hazardous vehicle for daily transportation? The thought alone sent chills down her spine, an immediate recollection of each motorcycle accident rushing to her mind. To her, riding a motorcycle was like trying to swim through a horde of man-eating sharks. She cringed.

The ride up to the floor of her humble abode was silent, the soft jazz playing in the background hardly audible in her ears. As she reached her destination, she paced briskly to the gold mail-slots in the hallway. She groaned as she shuffled through her mail, her neighbor's name marring each envelope. This was the third time this week that the mailman had mixed up the mail and to her dismay; this would be the third time this week that she would have to knock on the door of her disgruntled neighbor.

She heaved a deep sigh in anticipation as she shuffled reluctantly to the door beside her own. Maybe she could just slide it under? She shook her head. Most likely, he had her mail and she could never seem to sleep easy with the thought that she may have missed something crucial by not getting her mail in its intended delivery date. With much hesitation, she managed to pull herself to knock. The noise coming from inside dulled, small thuds getting louder as she waited. Her feet shifted uncomfortably slightly jumping when the door swung open. The Chinese man stood shirtless before her, his well-defined chest and chiseled abs pulsating with beads of sweat drifting slowly downwards. She gulped, a rush of hot pink swelling on her pale cheeks.

"Y-your uhh mail, w-was in my mailbox," she stuttered helplessly shoving the letters into his hands. He stepped in closer, one arm gripping the top of his doorframe as he skimmed through the envelopes to be sure each one belonged to him.

"Thanks," he murmured before again looking up. "I'll be right back."

The young doctor exhaled gratefully as his sudden half-naked appearance disappeared around a wall. He seemed much nicer today, she noted to herself as she rocked on the heels of her feet. Usually, he would have appeared much angrier or more irritated. Maybe he was having a good day? She could hear him bustling through a few things before he returned with a collection of envelopes that she assumed probably belonged to her.

"Here you go," he said as he reached the door.

"Thank you," the blue-haired woman again blushed. They stood there awkwardly for a moment until the Chinese man sighed. "Um well, goodnight Mr. Chang," she muttered before stepping to her door.

"Goodnight Dr. Mizuno." For a moment his eyes seemed to linger at the hem of her short blue skirt. It was a bit of a surprise to see her in a miniskirt since she always embodied something of a reserved and more modest personality. He shook it off. What was he doing? He scoffed. Sweating always seemed to weaken his resolve. His usually scathing attitude could never be in place when his body was being challenged, it was impossible. He thoroughly enjoyed every bit of manual labor that made him feel as though he was pushing the limit, it was just a fact of life. He smiled to himself with a final glimpse at the doctor and finally urged his door shut.

Dr. Mizuno paused with key in hand as she noticed a small flake in her paint. Had it not been for her critically trained medical eye she almost certainly would not have noticed, but for reasons unknown to her she seemed to settle on this small scratch with unrestrained curiosity. She frowned. Against her better conscience, she proceeded with her key and entered her apartment.

* * *

"You did what?"

Minako winced as it was spoken. It was her fault, this time she was willing to take the blame. It was that damned TV in Makoto's living room that brought her to this! It was blaring with new revelations about last night's "Police Station Disaster" and how pictures of the prime suspects were released. She about fell of a heart attack when her picture was plastered across half the screen. WHY? WHY DID THEY HAVE TO PUBLICIZE IT LIKE THIS? Any hope of returning to her beloved classroom was demolished with this one action.

She had seen Rei jump from her seat when she saw the broadcast and kept trying to distract Makoto as Minako **attempted** to shut the thing off. She pushed the power button relentlessly, the picture box failing to go mute, as it should have. Minako panicked. She grabbed a pen as if it would somehow work better and started jabbing the button and with one swoop, she pushed the pen completely through. Her royal blue eyes widened as a hand rubbed the back of her head. _Well that was unexpected. _At the sound of Makoto's nearing figure, Minako ran to the back of the television set and yanked unceremoniously on the plug. With the thought that her task was finally complete, she walked with plug in hand and collapsed on the couch. _"If you have any information about these suspects' whereabouts, please call the number on the screen." _Minako's eye twitched as she slowly returned her eyes to the black box. An eternity of looking from the plug to the TV and back made her feel as though she was stuck in the middle of a nightmare. It should be off! She looked desperately at Makoto who was now heading into the living room to sit down. With a great leap to her knees, Minako found herself holding pleadingly onto the brunette's long legs.

"''!" She blurted all at once. Rei nearly pummeled the blonde for this but refrained because she was afraid she might inadvertently hit Makoto.

"Minako, you dimwit!"

And that's how it happened. So now Makoto was looking for answers.

"It was a complete accident," Minako explained. "Rei got angry and then the station burst into flames."

Makoto arched an eyebrow in disbelief. Were they just trying to pull a fast one? She wasn't sure as the brooding businesswoman sat enraged on the living room couch across from her. "Is this a joke?"

Minako scoffed, her head shaking side to side as a 'no'.

"I can't explain it," Rei started. "I know it's a stretch to say that I suddenly started spewing fire but it's the truth. We're guessing our past has something to do with it…"

Makoto shrugged with a light laugh. "Its not that part that's hard to believe," she mused.

"It isn't?" Minako quirked. Makoto shook her head, the lights in the kitchen flicking off. Rei looked at her in confusion. If she were to hear this story for the first time, she would be certain that what she revealed would have been the most ludicrous detail…

"Let's just say I haven't had to pay an electric bill for the past two years!" She seemed amused by this as Rei's face scrunched in shock.

"No way!" Minako glowed. "We should be roommates Mako-chan! My electric bill kills me every month!"

"Are you kidding me?" Rei interjected, her regret bridling for turning to Minako first. She should have called Makoto when she disintegrated her office desk to ashes!

"Honest," Makoto said with her right hand raised. "It was pretty weird when it happened but after a while I figured it could only be expected being as I was Sailor Jupiter and everything…" she drifted. How could she take it so calmly? Rei pondered.

"That makes sense," Minako agreed. The three of them sat pointedly in contemplation. Makoto's unperturbed attitude, Rei's rising regret and Minako's easing heart rate welded into an aura of discomfiture.

"Well," Makoto said decidedly. "You guys can stay here as long as you need to. I'm pretty confident that the whole incident was an accident so maybe we can figure out a way around this." Minako smiled appreciatively at the brunette's understanding. Mako-chan sure was reliable in every situation. Rei nodded apprehensively as she rubbed her head. Her overreaction to her ability crippled her conscience. If she could have only been as accepting as Makoto then she most likely would have been in her billionaire estate. She frowned. Makoto led both of them to her only guest room, the queen sized mattress more alluring than any other bed they had ever seen. Rei took half of the mattress as Minako helped Makoto in the kitchen with the dishes.

* * *

Dr. Mizuno took off her jacket and hung it neatly in her closet. There was something eerie looming around but she ignored the feeling. She kicked off her shoes in relief as her dainty feet snuck into the cushioned house slippers that she fondly pranced around with. She habitually walked into the kitchen, putting on a kettle of water for tea. A small creak stopped her heart, her mind immediately criticizing her for her inexplicable suspicion. She forced herself to her bedroom for a change of clothes and stood motionlessly staring into her drawers.

"Having trouble choosing?"

The young girl sighed, her hands resting on her hips. "Yeah," she admitted with a nod. She rummaged through the articles in annoyance and suddenly grew tense. The beating in her chest climbed exponentially, her hands getting clammy in the process. In rising discomfort, she dared it, and turned slowly praying that she would see nothing. To her dismay…

"Hi there." Before the doctor could even think, her legs sprung to action as she raced towards her bedroom door. She nearly crossed the haven until a rough hand gripped her arm and slammed her ruthlessly against the wall. The grip replaced itself onto her throat the woman responsible grinning excitedly.

"Ami Mizuno, I assume." The blue-haired woman squirmed anxiously, her breathing painfully lacking. Two other women immersed from hiding, one of which who held a rope in her hands.

"Seems that a couple friends of yours are trying to make us look bad. So, we thought we'd send them a little message of our own with your assistance." Ami hacked painfully as the woman released her only to again slam her face first into the wall. They tightly strung her hands together, the rigid threads slicing into her soft skin.

"Please," Ami pleaded. "You have the wrong person." The women cackled in response, their leather clad bodies jerking her towards her kitchen.

"Let's try and be courageous honey, there's no fun if you make this easy for us." She caressed Ami's paled cheek and pinched it playfully. It was too bad that this girl was affiliated with the women that tried to interfere with their plans. Why, if it wasn't for them, then this doctor may have been enjoying this night as she usually did.

Ami's vision was wavering as she was dragged through her home. What did they want from her? They had said something about her friends but she couldn't imagine anyone that would be associated with people like this. She winced in pain as she was shoved into a chair, more rope piercing through her skin as they tied it around her torso.

"If its money," Ami murmured. "I can pay you."

The chorus of laughter that ensued churned heavily in the bluette's mind, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "Please," she pleaded again but to no avail.

A small green cone-shaped device was pulled out drawing a wide-eyed expression from the doctor. "HELP!" she cried, a woman furiously slapping her hand over the doctor's mouth.

"Don't you dare yell," she whispered harshly. "Or we'll slaughter everyone else in this God-forsaken building! Do you want that?"

Ami's tear-stained face shook in disconfirmation as the woman held her mouth shut.

"Good," the woman seethed. Ami's body was wracked in sobs, her mouth gagged from distrust. They taped the grenade meticulously onto her lap with a string tied to the pin ready to be pulled when they wished. The women smirked with accomplishment at their devised "message" for the fools that tried to best them, their crippled prisoner treacherously awaiting her inevitable fate.

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

They cursed at the sound the tallest woman ordering them to ignore it. The rapture continued annoyingly before finally ceasing, the three women smiling in content.

"Good thing yeah?" One remarked to Ami. "If they continued, then they would have been in a seat next to you."

_Tick…tick…_

"What's that?"

The three assailants looked apprehensively for the product of the sound, neither able to spot anything. "I think its coming from the door." As if on cue, a deafening 'BOOM' reverberated through the doctor's apartment, a girl getting pinned by an unknown newcomer.

"What the-" she was cut off, as the man jabbed a pressure point leaving her to frigidly drop to the ground.

"Pull the pin!" the tallest demanded and Ami shut her eyes in panic. A period of no explosion or even searing urged the blue-eyed woman to peek in confusion.

"It's frozen!" The girl cried incredulously. By now the man had thrown the tallest woman into the hall and yanked the girl nearest Ami into a duel. She struggled to match his speed as he punched and kicked his way to victory. Fainted, on the floor, he left her and tended hastily to the young genius.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his charcoal eyes encrusting themselves in the pit of her gratuity. She bobbed her head in response, the tears still streaming. He cut the ropes and forced her to the ground at the sound of a gunshot. The tallest woman immerged from the smoke, her spiked silver hair marred with dirt.

"You're gonna pay for this!" She yelled eliciting a scoff from Ami's rescuer. He drew out his own gun and shot at her while he lifted Ami to her feet.

"Run to the garage," he ordered. "I'll be right behind you."

Ami wobbled uncomfortably before nodding and rushed to her fire escape. The feel of the crisp air emancipated her clogged lungs as she inhaled. Her arms and legs seemed to have a mind of their own as she moved as quickly as she could towards her destination. Another explosion from her apartment caught her attention, the whizzing body of her Chinese neighbor in hot pursuit.

"Keep going!" he yelled to her, the view of the dangerous silver-haired woman further motivating her. She sprinted inside through the halls and pushed her way to the stairs. _Almost there_, she thought to herself. The slippery surface of the garage reminded her of her inadequate foot attire but she halted the thought as Mr. Chang flung in behind her. He moved her to the sleek black bike in the parking area where she hesitated.

"I-I don't think that's safe," she stuttered, her current predicament currently fleeting from her mind. The Chinese man groaned as he skillfully placed a helmet on her and seated her behind him.

"It's this or die," he muttered as the bike roared to life. Ami clasped desperately to him, the wheels screeching as he took off. The woman chasing after them kicked the ground in defeat as she yelled in frustration. The black-haired man sighed in relief as he saw this, the blue-haired doctor still clinging relentlessly to his body. His interest perked as he wondered why **those** types of people would want to attack her. He was only lying in his bed when he heard loud thumps sounding from her apartment. In all his days as her neighbor, he knew immediately that something wasn't right but resigned from the notion as he assumed she probably had "company". But when he heard a muffled plea for help, he couldn't resist the instinct to investigate. It was a good thing he did, else she wouldn't have been alive…

He whirred past the traffic in deep thought, the unyielding grip on his abdomen surprisingly comfortable. He would be sure to find out what exactly Mizuno, Ami had gotten herself into when they reached a safe resting spot.

* * *

Minako was sprawled lazily on Makoto's living room sofa, her two comrades since retired to their rooms. What more could she say other than the fact that she was restless? The darkened room flickered uncontrollably, a light smile gracing her lips. Makoto had tried to keep the room lit for her while sleeping which Minako found highly impressive. However, it seemed every so often the lights would start flickering and then shut off completely before again revving back into full voltage capacity. She bit on the bottom of her lip as she stared into the ceiling.

Five, four, three, two, one, she sighed as the room blackened. She giggled in response, her body resonating in dimmed yellow. There were some up sides to glowing…she tried to reason to herself. She could light her way in dark areas with this kind of ability…and…she groaned…that was pretty much it. Why couldn't she do something cool like Mako-chan? She pursed her lips in consideration and sat up, the lights again sparking into existence. She had to stop being so negative! It wasn't like her abilities as a sailor scout would have been any help to her in her current occupation. If anything, she would probably end up like Rei and accidentally spring a beam through a bank or something. She shrugged.

Her attention was triggered as a rectangular object slid in beneath the front door. Curiously, she picked up the note and unfolded it.

"Duck for cover?" she read with a slight itch. Another object flung through Makoto's window, which to the brunette's luck was open, and rolled timelessly on the floor. Minako's breath caught in her chest as she dove prayerfully behind the couch. Not a second later, debris was flying around the apartment the blonde coughing ungratefully.

She peered over the couch in shock at the view. The man from the bench outside stood with a scarf covering his nose to his chin.

"Hope you got my calling card," he grinned. Minako looked puzzled at his appearance and tensed when she found herself staring down the barrel of a handgun. "Tsk, tsk, now you just look way too innocent to be a Siren."

**Well, there's that! It came out a lot longer than I anticipated! Let me know what you think and thank you so much for reading! Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome! **

**JPandS**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for everyone that reviewed! I truly appreciate it =)**

**Oombala: I'm glad you think its interesting! I do have fun writing this one! But here are the pairings that I have in mind for this fic ;) Mako/Quatre, Rei/Trowa, Ami/Wufei and Minako/Duo It may change but I'm absolutely certain on the Mako/Quatre and Ami/Wufei bit =D This story is going pretty fast but I'm hoping that this chapter will help clear up what's happening. **

**Preci: Minako is just feeling a bit unappreciated ;) anywho thanks for reviewing special :P**

"Get away from her!" Rei's demanding voice called the attention of the male assailant. Was that a fireball? He jumped back and watched as the flame collided with the remnants of the apartment wall. He knew these women were crafty but he couldn't seem to fathom how she could throw fire when she had no visible weapon.

Minako shook away the shock and felt herself being pulled by her steaming companion.

"Ouch Rei, you're burning me," she hissed as she tried to pry her hand away from the woman.

"Shut up Minako and run!"

Makoto was standing in the hallway gaping at the destruction of her apartment. Her eyes seemed so distant that she hadn't even taken notice of the man approaching her with his handgun.

"Mako-chan!" The brunette blinked mindlessly, a sharp sting stabbing at her left shoulder. Confused, she settled her gaze on the agitated spot and sparked dangerously in response. Who the hell shot her after blowing up half of her home? Her emeralds darted to the chestnut haired man who stood with rising uncertainty. He was going to pay dearly.

The blue-eyed bounty hunter hesitated, his heart sputtering as he noticed something strange about the tall woman who stood in the hallway. She was unfazed by the bullet that pierced through her shoulder but even more than that, she appeared to be sparkling? Suddenly the idea of hunting these women was starting to be troublesome as already supernatural events were taking place. What the hell kind of people were they? He tensed as he noticed her fist clench in anger, a ball of electricity forming larger and larger. Beads of sweat were forming relentlessly, his body aching with anticipation.

She hurled the ball towards him, his body already jumping away to dodge it. It was hopeless, the ball seemed attracted to him, the stray shocks pulling the energy to him. He cursed as he sprinted his fastest away from the orb. He jumped over the stair railing and landed hastily on the ground. He looked back and it was still following him. His eyes frantically skimmed the earth for some kind of protection and landed on a trashcan lid. He grabbed it, hoping desperately that it would deflect the angry charge. His heart jolted as he heard it collide with the metal and he released the lid when he felt the electricity shocking his hands. Exasperated, he stood up and caught his breath. What in the world was that?

He looked up to the third floor wherein his bounty most likely escaped. The other apartment residents were now rushing out their doors, the fire alarm system blaring all around. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a sequence of numbers.

"Is it done?" The guy was always straight to the point, never one to dance around the objective.

"No," the man smiled sheepishly. The man on the other end growled.

"I thought you were the best."

The laughing of the blue-eyed American was less than amusing for the recipient of the call. "I am," he remarked. "But these are no ordinary women that you sent me after."

"What's it to you?" he retorted.

"I don't think the price you mentioned is worth all the trouble…"

There was period of silence on the line, the smile on the American's face still prominent.

"If you can't do it for the price already offered, then I'll find someone else."

He laughed. "Good luck then, my friend." He flipped his phone shut and waited expectantly. Sure enough, the device started ringing.

"Hey old buddy, it's been a long time!" He jeered as he answered.

"I'll pay you another grand." The man replied purposely ignoring the joke.

"Another grand is nice, but I won't settle for anything less than double."

The man groaned. "What?"

"Hey, I don't like to risk my life for cheap you know."

"Fine, I'll pay double."

"I'm glad we could reach an agreement. Now, tell me more about these Sirens..."

* * *

Wufei was silent. His venture the previous night led him and his neighbor to a motel where she had fallen asleep immediately. It was difficult for him to try and trace the reason why she had been targeted and even now, he couldn't seem to find a single clue. He didn't want to have to stay and protect her especially when he didn't know how she got into this mess.

He sighed as he leant back on his chair in thought. Dr. Mizuno. The mild-mannered woman was hardly someone he expected to be involved with activities that would lure the attention of vile women. His muscles tensed as he heard her shifting in her sleep. Once the room was again quiet, his eyes traveled slowly to her.

It was unlike him to stick with her for so long. Usually he would take them to the authorities and have them devise a protection plan if the client was innocent enough. However, now he was puzzled by his actions and even more so by his thoughts. Why would he want to protect her until the threat was dealt with? He didn't know her and he didn't owe her anything. Why, he had just barely even met her this week because of their annoying mailman.

A muffled groan sounded from the bed, the doctor finally stirring from her slumber. She stretched out before settling her attention on the Chinese man. She blushed. Waking to someone was quite unsettling, as the doctor had grown accustomed to her lonely lifestyle. It was true that she worked with people everyday but those interactions never extended past mere acquaintances. She had many questions. Questions about what kind of life Mr. Chang led, how he knew to rescue her, whether or not he knew the women that were after her. They had said something about her "friends" but for the life of her, nothing seemed to connect. Perhaps one of her patients was involved with sketchy activities and lured those women to her?

"You don't know why they're after you, do you." By the sound of his voice he hadn't expected an answer because he already knew it. However, being the curt woman that she was, she nodded her head in affirmation.

What a dilemma. They had no clues of the identities of the women with the exception of their faces and Ami was completely unaware of the slightest reason that they could be after her.

They wanted to make an example of her. Supposedly, someone close to Ami had done something to insult them so they were trying to get even. But who did it? And what exactly had they done?

"Well," Wufei said. "If you lie low, withdraw as much as you can from your bank account and avoid using credit cards, your cell phone and maybe dye your hair you can probably evade those women long enough to figure out what their deal is. Or, you could just assume a new identity."

"W-what?" Ami stammered.

"You don't expect me to baby-sit, do you?"

A crimson blush rushed to her cheeks at his question. "N-no," she said. "But—"

"I've got a life of my own and so far you've interrupted it enough."

Now here was the rude man she had grown accustomed to. His angular eyes were stoic as he stood from his seat and grabbed his leather jacket. What was Ami supposed to say? It was true, he had no reason to stay with her but she didn't want to be left alone especially since she was being chased for reasons still unknown to her.

"I-I'll pay you," she cringed as she said this. It wasn't because she was afraid of the expenses it was merely because she felt awkward yelling that statement in a hotel room with a stranger. Well he wasn't a complete stranger but she still didn't know him enough to consider him an acquaintance.

Wufei paused as he mulled over her offer. He wasn't money hungry but his job at home wasn't exactly enticing. The thrill he got last night awoken him to the reality that he was slowly submitting to civilian life in a way that he despised. If she paid him to be her bodyguard, then his job would become obsolete and then he might have more opportunities at reviving his old instincts completely. So what if it was only temporary, at least he wouldn't be stuck in an office…

"Alright," he said. "I'll help you."

* * *

The single severely damaged apartment was already taped and swarming with suited police officials. It was a disturbing revelation to find that this was the second apartment tonight that had been broken into. Correlations between both women who were now missing had yet to be made and each looked to be brutally terminal undertakings. A blond man stood grimly at ground level, his cerulean blue hues aching with sympathy. He knew the girl that lived here. She had stood out to him many times before. Her friendly emerald orbs had plastered themselves in his mind, the rest of her smooth features slowly etching themselves in his thoughts. Her auburn curls hung loosely in her ponytail, a green and white sundress adorned with a matching green apron securely fastened around her small waist. He had met her at a local restaurant by accident.

A small smile tugged unconsciously at the corner of his lips as he recalled that night. He had a rough day at work and needed something to distract him. His eyes landed on a café that was still open and he made his way inside. Hardly anyone was in there and he assumed it had something to do with the fact that it was two in the morning. He took a seat on a bar stool with his head buried in the palm of his hands. It took much convincing for him, but he finally took the time to look up and that's when he saw her.

_"Looks like you're getting in from a hard day of work," she said as she poured steaming liquid into a cup and pushed it towards him. "Its tea. I made it myself. Helps to ease tension when I've had a rough day so I thought you might enjoy it yourself."_

_Immediately, the man shoved his right hand into his pockets but was stopped when she put a soft hand on his shoulder._

_"Don't worry about it," she smiled. "Its on the house."_

_His heart pounded with appreciation, the cup of tea suddenly becoming his most prized gift. "Thank you," he said as he turned to sip. The liquid was immensely soothing as he found his eyes shutting in deep submission to the healing power of the herbs. She was right, it did ease tension. His mood slowly molded into his usual optimistic mannerisms and he smiled._

_"I think this is the best tea I've ever tasted." The brunette's smile was captivating. Never before had he remembered staring so much at a single woman like he was now. Maybe it was because of her kind deed that he felt inclined to know more about her or perhaps it was the fact that she was still smiling at the unsightly hour of 2 in the morning. He laughed. The few strangers in the café weren't nearly as "alive" as she was so he imagined that he would naturally be drawn to her for that reason alone._

_"I'm flattered you would think so." A slight tinge of pink stained her cheeks which he took notice of. In turn, he felt himself growing warmer with the intention to learn more about her._

_"My name is Quatre," he introduced himself with an outstretched hand. _

_"It's a pleasure meeting you, Quatre." She shook his hand firmly, a brief feeling of electricity excitingly jolting through his arm. "I'm Makoto."_

"Chief."

The memory quickly evaporated, as Quatre's attention was diverted to the officer addressing him.

"Yes?" he replied.

"We didn't find much, but it appears that Makoto Kino wasn't in there alone. The beds in the master bedroom and the second bedroom looked to have been in use. A hair was also found on the couch in the living room and has been sent to forensics. They're brushing for finger prints now and will have results by morning."

Quatre nodded as he heard this and sighed. "Very good," he said. "Make sure the results of all tests make their way to my desk as soon as possible. I want to f—"

"…"

"Um, chief?"

The blond man stood in disbelief as he made eye contact with a familiar braided haired man. He smirked in the direction of the Chief of police and signaled with his head for Quatre to follow him.

"Have those results on my desk by morning," he repeated. "And if anything else turns up, call me."

Without a moment to spare, he followed after the silent promptings of the American. He looked cautiously around and once he was satisfied that there was no one following him, he stepped into a dark alley to the chestnut haired man waiting.

"Chief of police! I can't say it surprises me." His sheepish grin was still the same.

"Duo," Quatre nodded with a smile. "It's been a long time."

The blond walked closer and pulled the brunette into a friendly hug. It was surprising to Quatre to realize how much he had missed his old comrade. Come to think of it, he missed **all** of his old comrades. Supposedly all those near death experiences somehow tied them all in a bond that he wasn't sure he completely understood yet.

"So what have you been up to, Duo?"

The said man shrugged his shoulders casually with his hands in his pockets. "Same old, same old," he grinned. Quatre scoffed.

"Which would be?"

"I've been dabbling in the bounty hunter business. Nothing really glamorous, ya know?"

A small laugh was earned as Duo spoke. Somehow, Quatre had imagined Duo would engage in that type of career path now that they were able to assume normal, or as close to normal as they could attain, lives.

"It suits you," Quatre remarked.

"Yeah," Duo crooned. "I get that a lot."

His cobalt eyes looked over Quatre as he sighed.

"Sorry about the mess."

Quatre for the first time finally connected Duo's involvement to his current investigation. Agitation and rage nearly consumed him as he realized this.

"You did that?" His temperament was flaring as he thought of the woman inside. Did he hurt Makoto?

Duo nodded in affirmation but hastily started his explanation when he noticed the anger permeating the alley. "I was hired a couple weeks ago to track a group of females called _Sirens_. They're advocates of a huge underground syndicate, actually they're one of the top agents. It was a little difficult to trace them since no one really knows what they look like. I got a tip that the Sirens were the ones sending threats to that police station that was blown up just recently, so I camped out there waiting for them to show themselves. That's when I saw them. Two women were outside in the front when the place exploded. I didn't see how they did it, but they started running as soon as the explosion hit. At first, I was a bit skeptical about them being responsible since they really don't look like fugitives but along the chase, they exploded a car on the side of the road without touching it. There were no explosives, no nothing. I kept on their trail since I was told there were three of them and I only saw two. Eventually, they met up with the girl that lives in that apartment."

Quatre's throat dried as he listened. Duo was a sharp investigator and Quatre knew better than to question his judgment. However, the thought that Makoto was an agent of a syndicate was hard to conceive. Conflicted, he tried desperately to discern his position on this situation.

"So what happened?"

"I broke in." He paused as he pondered the events further. "These girls," he stated. "They're not _normal_."

Quatre raised an eyebrow in question. "What d'you mean?"

Duo laughed as he leant on the brick wall of the alley. "I'm not too sure of what I saw," he said. "But it was pretty crazy. I found the names of the three women. Rei Hino, Minako Aino and Makoto Kino. I had Minako cornered and then Rei came charging down the hall with a fireball."

"A fireball?" Now Quatre was wondering if it was wise to believe in his old comrade.

"I know," Duo defended himself. "It sounds crazy, but I have no way of explaining it. And trust me, I wouldn't believe it if I didn't witness Makoto sparkling like a human thunderstorm."

"What?" Quatre's thoughts were static as she tried to consider what was being said.

"I shot her and she started sparkling. Then she threw some kind of lightening bolt at me and I had to run until I found a trash lid to protect myself."

"You shot her?"

This time, Duo was the one to raise an eyebrow. "All this information and you ask me if I shot her?"

Quatre shook his head and motioned for Duo to continue. His own bias was already tainting his judgment as he stood sulking in his confused state.

"Well," Duo continued despite his suspicion for Quatre's unexplained worry. "The Sirens are dangerous women. They take orders from a mastermind of the syndicates and those orders don't usually result in happy things, if you know what I'm saying."

Quatre slowly nodded. This night was starting to be another one of those nights that he began to question why he joined the force. "Thanks Duo, I'm glad you told me."

"No problem buddy," he said with a weak grin. He could tell Quatre was getting a little sullen just by looking at him. The positive demeanor usually gracing his attitude was rivaled by the new conflicting theories acquired.

"Would you happen to know anything about the break in by upstate Tokyo?"

Duo shook his head. "I have no idea. But if I find anything, I'll give you a call."

Both men shook hands before departing into the night. Quatre's heart pulsated meekly as he reflected on the new information. The Sirens. He remembered hearing brief whispers about them but never before had he actually received knowledge about who they were. The underground syndicate had been a huge problem in many of his investigations. Homicides, drug dealings, everything seemed to stem from their organization but he could never get it because their roots were so deeply planted in the legal system. Corrupt officers and judges, he found it difficult to even continue his job. Had he not been in more trying situations before, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle the task of Chief of police in a corrupt town.

He groaned as he continued walking mindlessly. The café was lit just like it was every other night, but there was no smiling brunette inside. The placement of these three women was flawless. A prestigious businesswoman, an elementary school teacher and a waitress who happened to encounter the Chief of Police, no one would ever expect them to lead a double life. He ran a hand through his handsome blond tresses and sighed. Go figure he would find himself falling for an agent of the syndicate.

**Thanks for reading! Hope you'll review and hope this chapter helped in clearing any confusion that might be going on. Constructive criticism is firmly appreciated!**

**JPandS**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Special thanks to all that reviewed (angelic acquarian, Aurora of Moonblade and Oombala)! I truly appreciate it!_**

**angelic acquarian: I know Minako/Duo is done a lot (hah a lot is kind of an understatement) but I really enjoy that couple despite its excessive use and will be keeping that pairing for this fic especially since I was looking forward to making this a Rei/Trowa pairing. Hope that isn't too disappointing. But thank you for your review and I hope this chapter clears up completely the whole Siren thing.**

Disclaimer: I don't own SM or GW.

* * *

_**Sirens**_

Thelchtereia a.k.a. Terry

Position: Data gatherer, brains, explosives

Agalope a.k.a. Angel

Position: Executioner, stunt master, second in command

Peisinoe a.k.a. Paige

Position: Seductress, leader, dead shot

The three women had long been feared by the underground crime society, people often paling at the mere mention of their names. Their faces were well hidden, the three never appearing without some ornate mask to shield their identities. If it were not for their dangerous reputation, their appearance would have been the subject of complete scrutiny, but since they had earned a climactic position as the leading boss' top agents, jeers were withheld to be replaced by growing respect.

The boss, one highly animated man, had required of all his cronies to uphold a certain code of theatricality. He claimed that crime was a form of art, one of which deserved to be executed only by those who were worthy. He did not take kindly to amateurs and was known to be excessively "harsh" to those that he deemed classless and without act. On one occasion, a new recruit had failed to attend in the requested Operatic attire and as punishment was circumcised on the spot and forced to sing a song ranging solely in the first soprano span. At the poor man's failure to hit those high-pitched notes, the boss shoved a knife harshly into his scrotum, a squeaky high G resonating disturbingly from the labored lungs of the unfortunate former male. Content, the boss smiled and nodded his head in approval, his feet moving him away carelessly. The man had collapsed, a group of properly uniformed men already rushing to clear him from the stage. This was only a mild display of the boss' obvious insanity but the members of his organization fondly called "The Faction" were too afraid to speak out.

You see, many different types of people comprised "The Faction" their stories spanning from that of destitute and homeless to rich and hungry for power. Neither person could trust the others, neither person could dare to actually vocalize their dissatisfaction that they might have held or even their fears of the crazy boss. If he were to ever hear of this, the person accused would be thrust into a devastating nightmare of which the boss would hold his life in the palm of his hands using that said person as a real life movie and implementing story plots to fit his fancy, most of them ultimately resulting in a gruesome death.

How this maniacal man could have come to gain so much power and support was beyond the void but his tactics were dangerous, and his involvement in crime growing exponentially. Pretty soon he would have control over the whole city, which would bring him one step closer to his lifelong dream of owning the world and making it his own screenplay.

"My dear Sirens," the man chimed beneath his dark black cloak. "You have been away for so long, I have come to miss you all dearly. Tell me, how was your little expedition? Did we get the police force's support?"

The three masked women looked cautiously towards each other, the tallest with her short platinum spiked hair gulping before inevitably having to speak for the lot of them.

"No," she let out regretfully, preparing for a heavy punishment from her superior.

The boss' jaw clenched, his lips pressed in a tight scowl. "Did we kill them prematurely once again?" He let out through grit teeth.

Again the three anxiously exchanged looks. They had been "consulting" with the officers of that police station for quite some time. They were amongst the few precincts that still stood strong against the theatrical corruption of The Faction's boss. With orders, the Sirens were told to try and convince the station that their best interest lie in their organization. They were just about to sign the deal too until they were rudely interrupted by two particular women who had decided to blow up the station themselves. The act was not permissible and if the leader had her way, the Sirens would be seeking those harlots out instead of having to report to their boss.

"No sir, it wasn't our fault!" Proclaimed the shortest of the group, her glasses falling down her pointy little nose. Her fiery orange hair waved down to her mid-back, strands of blond catching light and shining. Her azure eyes were marred with concern, something she hardly displayed in any situation.

"Oh?" The boss didn't seem convinced, his body shifting to face them for their explanation.

"She's telling the truth, sir. These two women set fire to the police station while we were in the middle of our negotiations. If it wasn't for them, we would have succeeded in our mission," the middle-height woman spoke, her deep mahogany hair pulled into a tight bun.

"Uh huh," the boss rubbed his chin in thought. "And what did you do to them when you found out?"

This time, Paige's jaw tightened as she recounted the events. They had intended to make an example of a particular blue-haired doctor that had close relations with the women who had interfered with their mission but it did not go as planned. She was saved by that damned Chinese man whom they had found to be none other than Chang, Wufei a well respected and sought after Preventer. Though he hardly ever had any field jobs in these times, it was apparent he still retained his physical prowess.

"We have done nothing," Paige admitted in deep disappointment. "We had just barely found the identities of the women."

"Hmm," the boss hummed. He appeared to be in rather good spirits, his voice not yet to reach higher than its usual decibel. "I heard about the fire," he started walking over to his favored throne. "They said they could find no clues as to how it started. Is this true?"

Paige nodded in affirmation.

A rather large grin spread across the shadowed face of the boss as he contemplated the possibilities. "Quite an intriguing fact, don't you think?"

The Sirens looked at him incredulously, hoping that he was not gaining an interest for the loathsome women. However, that familiar glint in his eye that he only got when truly impressed declared their futile hopes pointless. He could never ignore a crime that was done so well or with mind-boggling tactics. His curiosity for the pair was definitely peaked.

"Peisinoe," he said with a smile. "I have a new mission for you. Find these women and bring them to me. I should like to know why they blew up the police station and moreover whether they might be able to find a comfortable place for themselves inside the Faction."

The platinum blonde woman tensed, her conscience hesitant to accept. With great restraint, she nodded and accepted the mission. "As you wish," she muttered before exiting with her two reluctant teammates.

The man picked up on their muted dissatisfaction with the job and knew that if they weren't closely watched, they would find some way to kill the interesting pair. The Sirens were a jealous lot and no doubt they would continue to be far into the future.

"Little clown," he said in a barely audible tone. A tall lean brunette male stepped forward from the shadows, half his face covered with the mask of a clown.

"Sir," he stated.

"Keep an eye on them and make sure our guests get here safely. I would hate to have something regretful happen to them before I can even deem them worthy or unworthy of the Faction."

"Of course." The man receded back into the shadows making quickly to follow the trio of women. The boss smiled. Possible recruits were always an exciting matter.

* * *

Quatre sauntered heavily towards his office, the long night before leaving a crippling effect on his body. He hadn't been able to sleep, the image of a particular auburn haired waitress constantly plaguing his mind. Inner battles of whether or not she truly was involved with **the** syndicate waged ceaselessly, neither side able to stand victorious.

"_Well Mr. Winner," she smiled. "Another late night visit to the 24-hour café huh? Will we be making this a regular routine?" _

_Quatre laughed lightly, taking another sip of his new favorite tea. "If it be no trouble," he replied. "Then it just might." _

_She flashed him another trademark smile and propped her chin on a hand that rested on the countertop. Her lips were moving but Quatre was too far in a daze to even remember what had been said. She had the most striking emerald eyes, the kind that he could just sit and stare at for hours. He sometimes wondered how it was that a person's eyes could come to be that color…_

"_Mr. Winner?"_

_He blinked his eyes, a brief flush of embarrassment washing over him. "Heh, sorry Kino-san, what was that you were saying?"_

_She was so warm, her whole demeanor luring him in farther and farther every second. Her laughs were like a chorus of angels, a serene glow always surrounding her._

"_Would you like some more tea?"_

There was just no way she could be an agent! She was so kind, generous and beautiful…He shook his head in disapproval. The fact of the matter was, she had the ability to ward off Duo and though Duo was a very happy-go-lucky kind of guy, he was certainly not someone you could defeat easily.

"Chief, the reports are on your desk."

The blond man mumbled a thank you as he ruffled his hair in attempts to wake himself from his slump. Unfortunately it came as no use. A yawn broke out, his arms stretching outward as he instinctively shuffled to the door of his office. He pushed inside and raised a quizzical eyebrow at the man in his chair.

"Well I'll be," Quatre grinned, temporarily forgetting all his troubles. "Another unexpected reunion."

"Chief," the Chinese man nodded and stood with an outstretched hand.

"How's the Preventer's corps treating you?" Quatre asked as he took a seat.

Wufei shrugged. "I'm taking a break," he said. "Got hired as a bodyguard just recently."

"Oh? For whom, may I ask?"

"One Dr. Mizuno."

Quatre nearly choked on his own lungs at the name. "You don't say!"

Wufei bobbed his head. "I thought it would be a kind of courtesy to tell you she's still alive, since her supposed kidnapping is under your jurisdiction."

"That's quite a relief," Quatre remarked. "She'll have no troubles, I'm sure. She's got a great bodyguard."

Quatre scoffed to himself, the pure coincidence of the situation was quite amusing. Duo had given him answers for the blown up precinct, the prime suspects and Makoto and now it seemed that Wufei was giving him the last bit of information he needed regarding the missing blue-haired doctor.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Quatre asked. By the look on Wufei's face, he could see that there was.

"She was attacked by three women who claimed that a couple friends of hers had done something to them. However, it seems Dr. Mizuno can't figure out what it is exactly. I was hoping I could get a clue from you. Did you guys find anything in her apartment?"

Quatre shook his head. "Just explosives. These women are very clean, they cleared all their tracks before we got a chance to spot them."

"Hn," Wufei grunted. "I was hoping they were careless women."

Quatre bobbed his head, also once holding that same thought. "So, where is Dr. Mizuno now?"

"She's at a motel eating. I should probably get back to her soon. She's a bit paranoid at the moment."

"Can't say I blame her," Quatre muttered. "Say," he smiled. "I thought you had an aversion to women. Or should I say women who need protecting…"

Wufei shrugged, his handsome face making no indication of denial. "The Preventer's aren't what they used to be. I find myself with too much paperwork and very little action so I guess helping Dr. Mizuno with her current issue appeared as an answer to cure my bridling ennui."

Quatre scoffed. "I see what you mean."

Wufei nodded. "Well, since there were no clues in her apartment, do you think I could get a report of all the doctor's close contacts?"

Blinking, Quatre quickly affirmed. "Of course," he stated. "I believe that report is supposed to be here on my desk." He shuffled through his files and stopped at the one baring the blue-haired genius' name. As he opened it, his heart stopped.

Inside, four Polaroids, three of which he recognized immediately, lay depicting young females two blondes, a raven-haired woman and a brunette. He gulped, a rising sense of anxiousness engulfing him. There was no way this could be mere coincidence.

"Quatre?" Wufei asked, standing from his chair to peer at the folder.

The blond man looked up, his mind racing with open-ended theories.

"Wufei," he finally said. "Can I speak with Dr. Mizuno?"

* * *

Rei sat in silence, her eyes void of any clear emotion as she stared mindlessly at the ground. Makoto was still asleep, a worried Minako incessantly checking on their friend's shoulder wound in the process. They had taken refuge in a vacant cave of which Makoto had led them to. She had mumbled something about how no one ever came there and that the forest would protect them but her loss of blood seemed to be getting to her because she started talking nonsense to nothing in particular. Rei herself felt as though Makoto was hearing voices, throwing out phrases like "I'm okay, don't worry" when neither she or Minako had said anything or "Don't you dare hurt these two, they're my friends". Assuming that she was just hallucinating, Rei pushed on with the help of Minako through the treacherous terrain.

The leaves and very branches of the trees seemed to be pulling at them, as if to hinder them from proceeding further. Rei had half the mind to just burn them to ashes but refrained for obvious reasons. When they finally cleared the onslaught of prying vines, they all just collapsed from sheer fatigue. Minako then took her knowledge of injuries and put them to use on Makoto's neglected shoulder, using whatever she could find to dress it. It was a funny thing though because all the herbs and remedies just kind of magically moved to them, Minako never having to stray far to find them. Rei shook the thought.

They were in deep trouble; the problem now escalated since there was a guy hot on their trail. He was a skilled man, she could tell and to be honest she wasn't too sure they stood much of a chance against him or the police for that matter. Despite the fact that they each held supernatural abilities, two of which were actually useful, it really made no difference. Rei wanted to be absolved from all this mess and their powers would only work to dig them deeper. She sighed.

Just a few days ago she was in her billion-dollar estate, manning one of Japan's most prestigious companies and driving various luxury cars. She was happy!

…

…

Well, she liked to believe she was happy.

"Rei?"

She looked up at the mention of her name, the worried blonde walking out of the cave.

"Yeah," she answered over her shoulder. "What's up?"

"It's a bit cold in the cave and we've got no blankets. Do you think you could-"

"Make a fire?" Rei finished. "Sure."

She stood up from her position on the ground and headed into the cave but stopped when Minako hadn't budged.

"Mina?"

"I'm just gonna go search for food," she said, her tired blue eyes glancing at Rei.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Minako replied, running a hand through her hair. Without protest, Rei nodded and went inside.

Minako stood for a moment overcome with the whole situation. They were wanted fugitives hiding in a cavern with no food or plan to fix things. Though she often tried to look for the positives in any situation, none could be found now. With a labored sigh she forced her feet to move into the forest to search for food.

The fire was easy to make, Rei slightly surprised by the fact. She did it without thinking, no complications, no second thoughts, nothing. She just envisioned the flame and before she knew it, it was there!

Her violet orbs drifted to where Makoto lay and she sighed, the lightening senshi no longer turning in her sleep. She contemplated going to help Minako but opted against it since that would mean leaving Makoto alone and though the brunette had said no one ever came up there, she didn't want to chance it. Besides, even though Minako only had the ability to glow, Rei knew she could hold her own when it came down to it.

Again, her body found a place on the floor; the dancing flames now clear in her vision. It had been a while since she took time to sit and look into the fire and for the first time in ages she wondered why. She was always so enamored with fire, always revered it as knowledgeable and trustworthy. It wasn't until she started climbing the ladder of success that she had forgotten just how soothing fire was for her. What a strange fact…

The flames flickered with excitement, Rei's mind seemingly being pulled by its brilliance. She could see something, she could hear it too…Her body inched closer, the fire growing bright and enthusiastic until she could get a clear picture. A man stood amidst three women, his cloaked figure relaying some kind of message to them.

_"Find these women and bring them to me."_

Rei's brow furrowed as she tried to decipher what was being said. It was true she had not had a vision in years but she knew without a doubt the fire never showed her anything that it didn't deem necessary to know.

"What does that mean?" She whispered hoarsely, her heart pounding at the prospect that she may have found their way out of this mess.

_"Go to him."_

The fire diminished, Rei on her knees in deep thought. This was it. The fire told her what to do and wasn't going to let doubt stand in the way.

**Hmm, not a very humorous chapter but I hope it has explained any confusing points of the story =] Anyways…**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Don't forget to review!**

**JPandS**


	5. Chapter 5

"They would never do that!" The fair-skinned doctor proclaimed. "To think of such a terrible thing, no, it couldn't possibly be them!"

Quatre was rather relieved by her reaction, a heavy weight seemingly lifted from his shoulders. His long internal debate of whether or not Kino-san was an agent seemed to burden his state of mind, the blue-haired doctor's astonished visage comforting his thoughts.

"Are you sure?" He had to ask just to be certain. Besides, more confirmation always helped.

"I'm absolutely positive," she stated sternly. Her big blue eyes appeared uneasy as she defended her old grade school friends. She claimed to know them well. She even claimed that they were like sisters to her despite their lack of contact in the years past.

"What makes you so sure?" Wufei glared at Ami as if trying to see into her thoughts. He wasn't quite sure he believed her since it had been much too easy to formulate the possible reason those women had been following her with this newfound information that Quatre had provided. If she was speaking the truth and her three friends were not at all the highly regarded Sirens, then the three women that attacked her weren't any ordinary crime group.

"I just know," Ami frowned as the girls' biggest secret played in her head.

Quatre and Wufei exchanged glances at her response, both picking up on the suspicious childishness in her statement. Apparently, there was more to them than they could comprehend but it didn't look like Ami was willing to tell them anytime soon.

"Well," Quatre started. "Though they may not be Sirens, two of your friends were still spotted at the police station moments before it burst into flames. Do you think they could have been responsible for that?"

Ami opened her mouth to relay a hasty refute but Wufei interrupted her.

"Think before you answer," he murmured gruffly. "If the women that attacked you were Sirens, then your friends burning down the precinct provides a motive for them wanting to make a lesson of you."

Ami gulped. She had thought of that herself but did not want to believe it. What reason would Rei or Minako have for burning down that police station? Last she heard, Minako was a happy school teacher and Rei was the head of the biggest company in Japan and still growing. Did they even have time to plan these strange activities? Besides that, wouldn't it be a bit counterproductive to burn down the station full of crime fighters when they themselves used to engage in the same type of work years ago? But why did they run?

Neither Minako nor Rei dared return to their homes, a sure sign that they were guilty, and more than likely, Makoto just got caught in the crossfire when they had decided to spend the night at her place. A sickening churn gripped at her gut, their innocence not looking too convincing at the moment.

"No," was her final response. "I know my friends and they would never do that."

"People can change," Wufei grunted.

"Not them. Not like this." She stared blatantly at the Chinese man as if challenging him to say another word. She of course was never a fan of confrontation, but in the case of her friends, she felt it was needed if they persisted any further.

Quatre sighed aloud and stood up, both Wufei and Ami's eyes trailing after him.

"I appreciate the time you've taken to speak with me," he smiled with fatigue. "I will do my best to find your friends and bring out the truth. Hopefully we'll be able to clear their names too if they are indeed innocent."

Ami nodded slowly, unsure of whether or not Quatre actually believed her. However, the Chief of Police appeared rather genuine and she hated to think that he was just a good actor. Quatre bowed politely before making his way outside with Wufei in tow. Once they closed the door, they looked to each other expectantly.

"I hate to ask this of you," Quatre started.

"Don't mention it," Wufei replied. "I was gonna do it either way."

Quatre bobbed his head.

"If you find anything else, just call." With that said, the blond officer parted from Dr. Mizuno's newest body guard. The young genius was definitely hiding something and Wufei was anxious to find out what.

Ami exhaled in disdain, her minicomputer picking up on the quiet voices of her most recent acquaintances. So they hadn't believed her after all and it looked like Wufei would be watching her every waking move. She closed her handheld and frowned. Her own curiosity about the events that had taken place amongst her friends was piqued, the cogs in her mind revving into investigation mode. She would undoubtedly try and piece this one together without Wufei's knowledge but she would have to be careful. One little slip and he might discover a little fact that would condemn Rei and Minako to a criminal record. Ami had not forgotten about their _other_ abilities, after all how could one even forget something so big? However, a certain ability was linked much too closely to the now charred precinct and at the center was Rei and her innate ability to bend fire. If Wufei or even Quatre were to find out, it would be a sure hell for all of them.

000

"So, what is it we're doing?" Minako had asked for the thousandth time and Rei was starting to get irritated.

"We're looking for a guy that calls himself the Phantom of the Opera," Rei repeated for the thousandth time.

"Right…" Minako drifted still uncertain of whether or not Rei had finally lost her marbles in this mad race against…well against the police and now bounty hunter that was trying to track them.

"Isn't that a Broadway musical?" Makoto had asked as she finally remembered why the name sounded so familiar. Her wound had improved immensely, every medicinal herb known to man rubbed over its opening.

"Yes," Rei grumbled. "Yes it is."

Having her friends rejuvenated and able was comforting for her, but their constant questions about her newest plan unnerved her. Why couldn't they just listen to her and be done with it? It wasn't like they hadn't known about her psychic abilities beforehand!

"Hmm," Minako hummed, walking alongside her two friends. "Are you sure you didn't just—"

"I'm dead positive that I didn't misread the fire!" Rei yelled, veins popping out of her neck as she glared at Minako.

"Geez," Minako said with hands in the air as if surrendering. "I was just asking."

With a perturbed frown, Rei snapped her attention back to its former direction as Makoto and Minako resumed following. She had informed them of a plan just hours prior to then and since that time the two were skeptical. Even Rei held her doubts though she was too proud to admit it. If anything, she'd rather attempt to rid herself of this unwanted life of fugitive running and return home. Thus, this plan seemed to be the only progressive step that would lead her closer to her goal.

The further along they got in the infamous Gutter where a crime lord of theatrical proportions reigned with ridiculous protocols and equally menacing disciplinary repercussions, the more normal they appeared despite their…strange attire.

It turned out that Minako was quite a fine designer when she wanted to be and as she sketched out the patterns for these new get-ups, Makoto had taken up the task of sewing them together. Rei helped by forking out the last of her cash to buy bangles and sandals and afterwards, they found flowers that would better help tie their look together. Admittedly, the whole lot of them felt weird, but as they noticed more character-filled costumes adorning the other masked cronies that roamed the streets, they didn't feel too misplaced. However, the whispers and murmurs they heard around them as they passed through were more disconcerting than their choice of apparel…

Golden laurel wreaths wrapped each their heads, their gloriously long hair left to flow loosely across their backs and occasionally over their shoulders. Goddess inspired dresses rippled from their shoulders, varying designs wrapping each their bodies but still cohesively set to link them together. They had thought masks might be useful to conceal their identities but after a moment of contemplation, Rei reasoned it might do them more harm than good. Besides, mug shots of each of them were already parading around the news so it was basically pointless trying to hide the fact that they were criminals despite the perplexing fact that they weren't really criminals but women that had accidentally fallen into a tirade of trouble.

Hence, here they stood in a crowd that had now grown eerily quiet. Makoto, Rei and Minako each froze, eyes skeptical as they tried to figure out what exactly was happening around them.

"Well look at what we have here." The condescending tone was enough to irk all three of them, their gazes falling upon a long-limbed woman who leant casually against a stressed brick wall. Spiked silver hair poked out from the top of her mask, discolored eyes peering from the feathered holes of her costume. "Grecians?"

The crowd collectively gasped, stepping back in caution as if this woman held some extraordinary power that they dared not challenge. Their reaction had been so dynamic that even the trio posing as willing criminals with real supernatural ability had been silently startled, now growing with anxiety as they wondered if they were making a wise decision in coming here.

"Get ready," Rei had muttered before thinking.

She was speaking more to herself, whispers of information sweeping her ears as the fire she had been ignoring for years had eagerly returned to aid her. Their plan relied heavily on this single moment and all three women could feel anxiety welling in their chests as they incessantly contemplated whether or not this was such a good idea.

"Tch, they even have the nerve to come into our territory and strut their tasteless apparel like it means something," someone had commented with a sneer.

Perturbed, Makoto had glanced towards the new spoken woman and frowned in discontent when spotting an averaged height female with sleek brown hair that looked almost black. It stiffly held its shape behind a mask of midnight blue feathers, a leather bodysuit encasing her lithe frame with ample cleavage peering in from the lowly zipped front of her jacket. Makoto could already tell that she'd have problems with that one in particular simply because of the way she skulked towards them with that gait of arrogance that never rubbed well against the brunette's personality.

"How pathetic." Another female had spoken, her fiery orange hair braided with black lace, skin-tight shorts donning her slender legs matched with fingerless black gloves and a silvery vest that left little to the imagination. A black leather mask concealed the top half of her face, deceptively innocent sky blue eyes peering through towards the newly esteemed group of women.

Despite the blatant abhorrence on their masked faces, the three senshi still remained steadfast, their eyes reflectively firm and indifferent.

"We'd like to request a meeting with the Phantom of the Opera," Rei said through grit teeth, feeling completely silly for saying such a ridiculous sounding statement.

Minako had to bite down a laugh, a wavering grin fleeting across her lips before she discreetly coughed to cover her brief slip up. She was even amused by the gasp that had echoed through the audience, their faces widely shocked making it seem as though Rei had done the unmentionable by calling out this Phantom in public.

The platinum blonde snarled, stepping from her casual position against the wall and closer to them. By the way the other two flanked around to her sides, it was clear that she was the leader.

"What makes you think you deserve such a meeting," she scoffed, her hands twitching around her thigh as if she was silently contemplating the possession of a concealed weapon.

In a brief moment Minako had glanced to Rei and saw that the raven-haired woman wasn't quite certain how to respond. And truthfully, neither was she. Yet by the stiff tension that rose amongst the crowd where these masked females were the root cause of this terse situation, she thought it might be useful to at least gain some favor from the crowd who had cowered to the sidelines in anticipation.

"Oh sweetheart," Minako smiled with a twinkle in her eye, flippantly tossing her golden hair over her shoulder. "Didn't you hear? We're the ones that saved your boss some trouble with law enforcement and scared them off his track for you…or were you unaware that they had plans to get friendly so they could tear this shindig apart from the inside..."

Makoto looked shocked, emulating the whispers of the crowd and she quickly shook it off.

"Minako," Rei hissed in a low voice. "We don't know if that's true."

Still charmingly aglow with beauty and poise, Minako shrugged.

"That might be so." She said back. "But the way I see it, they can't kill us on the spot with the possibility that we had helped, ya know?"

Rei frowned, momentarily leaning away from the former school teacher and watching as the crowd around them seemed to forget their fear of these unnamed three of which she now knew were the famed Sirens that the fire had informed her about. A quick glance in their masked direction and Rei was surprisingly pleased to see that the Sirens were angered even more by the ripple Minako had started about their potential inadequacy.

"Bullshit," the averaged height Siren had retorted spitefully.

Makoto scoffed, feeling her blood boil in her general direction. She was certainly going to have a problem with that one.

"Oh my. Such beauty should not be tainted by a dirty mouth, darling," Minako teased, fanning herself haughtily with a wink towards the crowd. "It's simply unbecoming."

Rei scoffed, feeling eased by the crowd's amused laughter, which only nourished the Sirens' poor mood. Even Makoto couldn't hold back a small chuckle and they were both instantly reminded of how Minako always was the charming actor able to swoon crowds in her favor when necessary. Plus, she was the head of the school's Drama department so they figured this Faction was practically made for her.

"Why you little—"

The phrase was left unfinished, uncontrolled rage urging the Siren with the mouth of a sailor to charge towards Minako. The blonde was surprisingly agile, jumping aside just in time to avoid a puncture wound that looked to be aimed suspiciously close to her heart. As if on cue, the other two Sirens were fully engaged in the attack, picking a Grecian styled woman to battle and occasionally switching targets.

The startled crowd inched back in awe, silently impressed to find that these newcomers actually had some gusto to their act.

Makoto purposely intercepted the sleek-haired woman that had wanted Minako's blood, and forced her to redirect her anger once she realized the brunette was not an easy opponent and to ignore her would be deadly. Rei had somehow been pitted against the orange-haired spitfire who pulled knives and blades from unseen pockets in the very little amount of fabric she had covering her body. Completely incredulous, Rei gawked at the amount of weapons this petite woman had concealed but she was forced to abandon her amazement to avoid being cut.

Old karate and senshi practice seemed to rev into full gear as she dodged and countered every blow. Reaching instinctively for a scroll she winced, being unpleasantly reminded that she had abandoned that portion of her life years ago. With a grunt she leapt to the side, thankfully noting that Minako had seemed to be doing fine against the platinum blonde whose go-to weapon appeared to be a large whip.

A laugh escaped. Oh how she would like to see the look on that woman's face when and if Minako could actually manage to pull out her nifty chain…

"Don't ignore me!"

Rei scowled, feeling a splicing pressure against her abdomen and immediately tensing when she heard the fabric of her dress rip open. An awkward breeze swept across her stomach, her hands chokingly grabbing the mousy assailant and thrusting her against a wall in a burst of adrenaline. She hissed when a muscle spasm jerked across her side, the pain momentarily distracting her from the fiery haired Siren and making her stumble slightly. She looked to her side, spotting the steadily growing patch of red and wincing.

"I said not to ig—"

"I know what you said, bitch" Rei cut her off, eyes burning with rage as she resumed her fight with the problematic little wench.

The orange-haired woman couldn't apprehend why her gloves had somehow begun to soften like glue on her hands, sticking warmly to her skin as the heat around the area increased. The amethyst eyes of Rei Hino were ablaze, her counters and hits more vicious and precise than before. She harshly gripped the tiny wrist of her opponent and let her skin sear the unsuspecting woman in torment. She nearly moved to deliver the ending blow but in the corner of her vision she could see that Minako had allowed too much space between herself and the platinum blonde who was reaching for a holster behind her thigh.

Time slowed and panic consumed Rei before she even had a chance to think straight. She could see it in Minako's eyes that she realized her mistake but apart from glowing and attempting to dodge once the shot was made she had no real defense left. A whirl of fire flashed in a second around her hands and from the fluency of motion to the immaculate shaping of a phoenix that had molded itself between the businesswoman's porcelain fingers to make a fiery bow-and-arrow, the entire crowd had fell silent, no longer screaming cheers for their favored group or placing bets.

Makoto and her opponent succinctly ceased fighting; watching as Rei stood with her aim trained on the platinum blonde whose gun had been raised towards Minako.

"Well we're just pulling out all the stops, aren't we?" Minako had muttered under her breath, still tense being as a gun was still pointed towards her.

There was silence all around, the wind picking up much like in an old western movie scene where two gunslingers were having a standoff. Except there was only one gun present and the other was slinging a fully flamed bow and arrow.

"Put it down," Rei demanded between labored breaths. The fatigue from this latest brawl and the days spent running were catching up to her, and she could feel her arms beginning to quake as the fire around her fingers burned with the last of her expendable energy.

She didn't think such a display was possible being as she hadn't used this power in years and had barely managed to make a measly fire in a cavern beforehand. Yet, here she stood, one of her highest-powered attacks in hand and she was certain it wasn't just a hallucination.

Sweat dripped from the bridge of her nose and trailed along the side of her face until falling to the cemented ground beneath her. No one moved. No one made a sound. Eyes of the crowd tried to find the device that could elicit such a god-like display but as they took in the sight of the natural flames and the Goddess who wielded it, they had begun to understand why these three were dressed the way they were. Perhaps they weren't Goddesses per say, but it was assumed they had each created some sort of machine or technology that made such a supernatural display possible. Now, they only wondered what the other two were capable of.

A single applause cut through the stoic silence like a throng of church bells ringing hallelujah on a Sunday morning. Appalled, all eyes had sought out the person responsible only for each of them to straighten up respectfully with sights straightforward and unwavering.

In shiny black dress shoes and a well-fitted tuxedo finely accented by a blood red rose in his pocket, a broad-shouldered man had stepped forward wearing a genial smile that shined through the strange white mask upon his face.

The platinum blonde had gulped, hesitantly lowering her handgun and assuming the same stature as the crowd. Rei still wasn't quite convinced that this was over and as she glanced over her shoulder to see him garbed in the costume that she remembered glimpsing on a Billboard in New York, she was still unable to lower her magnificent weapon. The thought crossed her mind to aim at him instead but she discarded the idea as soon as a sixth sense had warned her such an act could be unhelpful.

Minako had now stood to full height, looking serene as her garments billowed with the wind, unstained and virtually perfect. Even as her milky skin had smoothly stretched out beneath the gathers at her shoulders, so was she a radiant woman of beauty in all its imaginations. Her blue eyes were like beacons of incredible innocence making her appear as though she was never involved in this fight but merely a spectator.

Makoto was quite the opposite. Her dress was tattered and torn, dirt already clumping greedily across the drenched fabric, as she stood tall with mahogany curls that remained frizz-free and only amplified the green depths of her eyes. Somewhere along the way she had put her hair up and it was somewhat amusing that she looked to be an ancient Greek soldier stolen from the past and placed in modern times as her Roman sandals feebly stayed strap to her feet.

With fire still burning in her hands, Rei looked the most ethereal even with the blood that had stained through the side of her ripped dress. She let the flames decimate into thin air and with a look of indifference, she turned to face who she had assumed was the Phantom. Her silky black hair that hinted at violet in the sun flowed like Black Death against her porcelain skin, strong, amethyst eyes burning like embers in their sockets. The gold laurel wreath upon her head glistened with majesty, such a simple ornament that was only spray painted, but it was captivating and the Phantom seemed entranced by her vision.

A single word escaped his lips after his echoing applause and by its mention the three knew they had made a good first impression.

"Fascinating."

* * *

Thank you for reading! It only took me about 2 years finish this update lol but that's cool right? ^^; I had it half way finished for so long that I forgot it was there. Anyhow, I hope this was a decent update!

Aurora of Moonblade: I'm glad you liked the previous chapter ^^ It took me a long time but hopefully this chapter was enjoyable too! And of course thank you so much for your review!

angelic aquarian: Thank you for your review. I know Minako/Duo is seen a lot and they are so alike that many think they'd kill each other for being pretty much one in the same but I'm glad you still find it interesting despite my slow attempt to put them together. It may happen or it may not, I never know since I tend to drop off the planet for years at a time so I suppose we'll see? As for Rei/Trowa, that is certainly going to be a challenge. I don't see it often and I'm unsure what I was thinking originally but I look forward to trying XD Again I'm sorry if this has been a confusing story. I think it is safe to say that this is justifiably a crack-fic meant for laughs, maybe some romance, a bit of action and some serious character development on Rei's behalf and partly for the others but mostly Rei ^^

l-annethunder: Thank you for your review! I'm a pretty bad reviewer myself since I often forget to comment on things so i completely understand XD Ami/Wufei has become an infatuation that I accidentally fell in love with so I am definitely looking forward to working with those two in later chapters! I hope this update was decent and again thank you so much for your review!

Oombala: Oombala! I am dying to see an update from you for Spatial Intelligence! XD I know I'm not really one that can talk since I'm pretty bad at updates myself but please please update soon? And of course, thank you so much for your review! I'm glad this has been interesting so far and I hope it continues to be! if not, feel free to be harshly honest! ^^

Neanda: Firstly, thank you so much for all your reviews. Sadly I'm fairly lazy when it comes to writing so my updates tend to be delayed a lot. ^^; Makoto's abilities have always been an infatuation of mine and like you I could use some of her electricity to save me for that bill too XD And true that, her connection to nature is often understated so I definitely liked bringing that up in this story. There are certainly going to be more cool scenes with that power later on if I can kick my bad habit and get to writing it already! Anyhow, I hope you liked this chapter and again thank you so much for your reviews!

angelicmayuka: Thank you for your review. I'm glad you find it interesting and after rereading it a few times myself I finally remembered why I liked writing it in the first place and hope to keep up with that track until this is finished ^^ Makoto and Quatre have never really been my favorite so I had to sit and think of a way and situation that would make me favor them more lol so I'm relieved to see that it was adorable to someone else as well! And Trowa, hah, I love that guy. Its going to be a challenge with him since I originally planned to pair him with Rei and I still intend to. And you're right, her character isn't too likable at the moment. I can say that it is my plan to do some serious character development as to why she has changed so drastically with the help of Trowa and Minako as driving forces so hopefully I can pull it off ^^ Actually, I plan to develop all of them eventually. Anyhow, sorry for rambling. I'm really happy that you find this story interesting despite the character dev. that hasn't quite happened yet. Hopefully this chapter was okay! And again, thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

Alas, any comments, gripes, questions or concerns are easily submitted via the Review link. Thanks once more for reading!

JPandS


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